


Sailor Spooky

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, One Shot, Season/Series 07, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-02
Updated: 2004-07-02
Packaged: 2019-04-27 18:38:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14431710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: Mulder tries to impress Scully with a sailing trip, and suffers for his effort.





	Sailor Spooky

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

Title: Sailor Spooky 

Author: Pattie 

Rated: PG. Certain words may induce queasiness. 

Category: MT, MA, SA, UST, Story. 

Spoilers: None. Set in Season 7  
.  
Archive: Gossamer, anyone else just ask. I'll say you're crazy! 

Feedback: Good or bad, warmly received  


Disclaimers: All characters and The X-Files belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen and Fox Studios. I make no money at this little hobby, and intend no copyright infringement. 

Agent Dana Scully's Apartment,  
Georgetown.  
Friday Evening  
6:00 p.m. 

Mulder left Scully's bathroom still drying his hands, holding a wrench and a plunger under his left arm. "No more hair in the drain. So Scully, what're you doing this weekend?" 

Scully closed her laptop and stood from her desk. "The usual: laundry, groceries, sleeping in. Thought I might drop in on my Mom on Sunday. And you?" 

"Well, much the same. But that can all be done tonight. I thought maybe I'd ask a favor of you, since I did un-clog your bathroom sink." He placed the wrench down on her desk and smiled sheepishly. "The Gunmen are out of town, the Y's doing repairs, so no b-ball." 

Scully glared at him. "And just what is this favor? If it's another alien hunt, forget it. I have my books." 

"No, no. It's nothing like that. You like sailing, right?" 

"Yeah. I've been taken out by my father and Bill ever since I was a kid. Why?" 

"Well, uh, I was hoping , I mean I'll pay and everything... I was hoping you might want to rent a boat and we could go for a sail, maybe see the usual tourist attractions." 

Scully had to laugh. "Mulder, you get sea-sick! You wouldn't get off of the pier without getting nauseous!" 

Mulder took offence at that remark. Putting his hands on his hips, he shot back: "I'll have you know I did quite well when I was in the Bermuda Triangle, Agent Scully!" 

"Oh, you did. That's right. In a hallucination, and damn near geting yourself killed! Mulder, you wouldn't want to go out on a boat with me. Trust me." She went into the kitchen, and set out two coffee mugs. "Besides, I wouldn't want to spoil your free time away from me." 

His heart sank. He sat on the couch. After a long pause he told her the truth. "I just don't want to be alone, okay?" 

Scully stopped filling the coffee maker and approached her partner. "Mulder, I'm sorry. I didn't realize... Come to think of it, I don't really want to be thinking about all that's happened at work, either. Especially that last case. It's been absolutely crazy. I do need a break from the same old-same old. Where would you suggest?" 

"Well, maybe the Vineyard would be nice. It's only six-ten now. If we pack tonight I could pick you up around six in the morning..." 

"Eight," she corrected him. "I'm doing my laundry and shopping tonight. The Vineyard sounds nice. Would you like a coffee before you go?" 

Mulder was relieved Scully was taking him up on an offer to get away from things. "I'd love some. Thanks, Scully." 

Scully put her hand on his shoulder, placing the mug on the coffee table, then sitting beside her partner."No problem. Just take some Gravol before we hit the water." 

* * *

Aldo's Marina,  
Saturday,  
12:35 p.m. 

After they had checked into a motel, Mulder and Scully rented a cabin cruiser complete with captain. Mulder unzipped his navy blue windbreaker as they approached the boat. 

"Weather looks great," Scully remarked. She was wearing blue jeans, white tee shirt and a grey kangaroo jacket. "So is this Captain Bentley a friend of yours, Mulder?" 

"Never met the man. By the way, I took the Gravol." 

"Thank God for that. 

When they reached the boat, Mulder extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Fox Mulder, and this is my friend, Dana Scully." 

"Captain Fred Bentley, pleased to meet you. Welcome aboard. She's all set to go." The Captain was a man in his mid-fifties and slightly over-weight, but he seemed to be fit to sail a cabin cruiser for a couple of hours. He took Scully's hand as she boarded the boat. 

"How long have you been doing this?" Scully inquired. 

"Two years," Bentley said, as he prepared to cast off. "I retired from the Navy." 

"Scully's father was in the Navy, and so is her brother, Bill." 

"I wondered where I'd heard that name before. I served under Bill Scully, the older one, for sixteen years, then got transferred a couple of times. How is Captain Scully?" 

Dana Scully's eyes began to mist over. He... he passed away five years ago." She felt Mulder's arm around her back and drew on it for comfort. 

"Sorry to hear that. He was stern but fair. Okay, we're ready to go here. Just sit down right there, life jackets and seatbelt are a must, and I'll start the engine." 

* * *

They had been on the water for about three-quarters of an hour before Mulder fished into his jacket for the Gravol."Oh, no..." 

As Scully enjoyed the wind in her hair and remembered with fondness her outings with her father, the carefree little girls she and Melissa were back then, Mulder was feeling the up-and-down, up-and-down motion of the waves and his face was turning ghastly white. Scully smiled while remembering her childhood trips and abruptly ceased smiling upon seeing Mulder's face. "Don't tell me, let me guess... " 

"Yeah," Mulder answered weakly. "Uh, Scully... " The odds were fifty-fifty as to whether the words or his stomach contents would come out first. 

"Okay," his partner whispered, "Slow, deep breaths, and just... just think of something nice and soothing. While you do that, just get your Gravol out and... " 

The poor man was close to heaving. "Left at motel," came out of his mouth, and then his lunch. Overboard, thankfully. Not only that, he noticed a graying of the sky. He pointed to the clouds so that Scully could see his concern, while he rinsed his mouth with bottled water. "Look." 

"It's clouding over, but I don't think we'll..." 

Just then, Captain Bentley shouted back to them, "Folks, we're a little too far out to avoid what's up ahead. I just radioed the Weather Bureau. Looks like a little thunderstorm is on the way. Best you go into the cabin while I turn us around!" 

"Oh, sh--!" Mulder exclaimed. "The sooner the better." 

The two agents went down to the cabin and Mulder washed up as Scully searched for anything that would help her partner's stomach settle. The last thing she wanted was to see Mulder hovering over the toilet for forty-five minutes or more. She finally found the First Aid Kit, and there were sample strips of Gravol tablets available. Mulder tried to grab them, but she held them back. "I have to look for an expiry date, Mulder!" 

"I'll expire if I don't stop... " that which he was already doing over the bowl. He stood, splashed water over his face, and tried to stay upright. 

"It's okay... it's okay, Mulder. As soon as this wave of nausea stops, I'll give it to you. I'll look for something to wash it down with." She opened cupboards, then the refrigerator. "Perrier! Nothing but the best." She opened the bottle and the pill packets and handed them to Mulder. "Okay. Small sips. Then I want you to lie down over there. I know you're dizzy as hell. You shouldn't be up anyway." 

There was a small sitting area with a couple of couches and some chairs. She grabbed a bucket from underneath the sink in the galley, just in case, and sat down beside Mulder, who was quite perturbed. 

"Sorry, Scully," he weakly whispered. "I thought I would give you a special weekend, and since you love sailing... " 

"Don't be sorry. You didn't have to do all this just for me. You don't have to prove anything to me." 

The water was getting rather turbulent. The thunder was becoming louder and closer making Mulder's head throb like a jack-hammer. 

"Ugh... " He rolled over and bent over, and was thrown head-first onto the floor, while Scully managed to hold on to her seat. She helped him up. 

"You all right, Mulder?" She examined his forehead. 

"Ow! No, I'm not." Mulder cupped his hands over his forehead. 

"You'll have either a nasty bruise or a bump. It's too soon to tell." 

"Oh, joy. Wait till Monday when I have to explain to Kersh... " 

"Never mind. Hold on tight. We're in for a rough ride, I'm afraid. Just take it easy and try to breath deeply, slowly and sip some water." 

Of course, after a falling light fixture glanced off of his right shoulder blade, Mulder's mind was temporarily occupied with something other than his stomach. "AHHHH!!! I think something cracked, Scully! And it hurts like hell!!" 

She felt his back. "I think you're right, Mulder. As soon as we get back to the pier, you're going straight to the hospital. You may have a fractured scapula." 

The ship's awaying and tossing only exacerbated the man's pain and nausea. It seemed if he wasn't hovering over a bucket, he was wincing in agony. It pained Scully to see her partner in such a bad way. 

Scully carefully climbed the stairs to the deck and called out to Bentley. "We've got a medical emergency here! Radio in for an EMS! How much longer?" 

Mulder's temples were throbbing at the sound of Scully's bellowing. He couldn't hold his head with both hands, though. "Damn shoulder..." he muttered. 

"About ten minutes, Ms. Scully! Get back down there!" 

Scully went down, put her arm around Mulder and said a silent prayer that his nausea would just go away. "It's okay, Mulder. We're almost back to shore." 

"Uhh..." he moaned. "Hate hospitals." 

"I know, I know." Her hand found his and she patted it gently, then hung onto it. "I know. Just hang in there. You probably won't be there long, this time." 

"This time," Mulder echoed. He figured by now he had the Guiness World Record for FBI Agent Hospital Stays. *If there wasn't such a category*, he was thinking, _I'll suggest it to them._

* * *

The ambulance was present when the boat docked. Scully managed to keep Mulder on the deck until the paramedics eased him onto the gurney. "Special Agent Scully, FBI. This is my partner, Special Agent Mulder. I'll ride with you. I'm a doctor. His personal physician. Let's go, Sailor Spooky. I can get the car later." 

When they were well on their way to the hospital, Mulder reached out for Scully's hand. "Hey." 

"Hey, yourself. Wait! Don't _hey_ me, G-man. You wanted to take me sailing, you made yourself sick to prove a point or earn some points, I really don't know which... " And how she could go on. "You don't really need to prove anything, Mulder." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right. At least I'm not sea-sick anymore." 

"No, Mulder, you're not. Although you do have some injuries. You know, once I was stuck on a crossword puzzle. I need a four letter word for crazy, and I think it applies here." 

"And what was it, Scully? Daft? Bent?" 

"Let's just say, I think you're still a bit asea." 

**END**   
  


#### If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Pattie


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